HOUSTON, TX, March 12, 2012 ---
All eyes this week have been on
Kristin Chenoweth’s
lashes, since the Emmy-award winning actress first appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman wearing sunglasses and again on The Anderson Cooper Show. The swollen eye issue she was disguising, Chenoweth explained, was caused by an allergic reaction to formaldehyde in a certain brand of eyelash extension adhesive. Lash extensions are synthetic fibers that are individually bonded to each natural eyelash by a certified professional. They come in a variety of different lengths, thicknesses, colors and curvatures that replicate the natural eyelash, in turn giving women the luxury of mascara-free, semi-permanent lashes.

Like Kristin, many women on the quest for lovely lashes find themselves facing results that are anything but! From collagen-infused mascaras, miracle growth serums and strip lashes, to luxury services like lash dipping, tinting and perming, to the most popular of them all—semi-permanent eyelash extensions—the nation’s women are lusting after lashes. According to Nielson data, the false eyelash industry grew 6.2%—to $44 million in 2010 alone—and continues to be the only service in the beauty industry experiencing consistent growth in a still-slumping economy.

“Women will always want their lashes to be longer, thicker, and more glamorous because eyelashes are a sign of femininity. Now, more than ever, women are constantly reminded that a dense, defined lash line allows them to not only forgo mascara, but also additional eye makeup when in a hurry,” says cosmetic chemist & owner of NovaLash, Sophy Merszei.

In creating NovaLash lash extensions, Merszei has made the education of consumers a cornerstone, shedding intelligent light on the health and safety risks associated with lash enhancement products and services. In 2004 year, Merszei founded the first global distribution network of eyelash extension products producing a patent-pending, physician-formulated adhesive produced in an FDA-inspected facility.

Recognizing that not everyone has the time to conduct extensive scientific research about every beauty service or product they want to try, lash expert Merszei suggests looking for a few key features when shopping for lash adhesive. “All lash adhesives should be physician-formulated, medical grade and should never contain detectable formaldehyde as manufactured and packaged. Merszei is quick to point out that it is possible to purify and package adhesive in a manner that prevents the formation of formaldehyde inside the bottle. Extensionists should have a certificate of training and should be using the products they advertise, says Ali Moon, PR representative for NovaLash. The thing to remember is that, “there is absolutely a science behind the glamour of false lashes that should never be overlooked.” Moon concludes.

About Sophy Merszei

Merszei is a cosmetic chemist, molecular biologist and owner of NovaLash Eyelash Extensions. Merszei founded the first global distribution network of eyelash extension products producing the first patent-pending, physician-formulated adhesive produced in an FDA inspected facility. Merszei received Product Innovator of the Year Award for her formulation of NovaLash’s Platinum Bond Adhesive by the International Cosmetic Manufacturers & Distributors in 2007 and Woman of the Year Award by the National Association of Professional Women in 2010. Most recently she successfully sponsored legislation in the State of Texas for higher education regulations in the eyelash extension field to encourage safe practices and protect consumers from insufficiently trained lash extensionists. For more information about Sophy Merszei visit www.novalash.com.

About NovaLash Adhesives

NovaLash’s adhesives are in full compliance with the FDA’s recommended maximum concentration for formaldehyde of 0.2% for cosmetics. When using EPA method TO-11A/8315HPLC-UV, NovaLash’s adhesives do not contain any detectable formaldehyde as manufactured and delivered in the bottle. Laboratory tests show that there is no detectable formaldehyde present in the bottle in NovaLash’s adhesives based upon a detection limit of 0.05 parts per billion or 1 nanogram per cubic meter. When cyanoacrylate adhesives are exposed to ambient air, the formation of formaldehyde may occur, therefore, opening the bottle and performing lash extension procedures may result in the production of de minimus amounts of formaldehyde. In an effort to minimize this potential as much as possible, NovaLash is committed to producing and delivering the purest product possible prior to the bottle being opened.